Paint code for the standard OD

thackney · Post by **thackney** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:15 am

Hey Guys,

New to the M37 world, and getting ready to paint the yellow beast OD green. Is there such a thing as a paint code for the correct OD?

Thanks for the help and such a great forum to learn from.

knattrass · Post by **knattrass** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 11:44 am

Mine is a 1954 and the correct color is paint code #24087 semi gloss.

Post by **Cal_Gary** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:29 pm

Yep-24087.
Gary

thackney · Post by **thackney** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 3:59 pm

Thanks for the help, guys.

HOLZINGER · Post by **HOLZINGER** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:20 pm

Check these guys out if'n you want to got the lusterless OD route.
My '54 came from Dodge painted in lusterless OD.
TM9 Ordnance shade #6 is a perfect match to my original color.

http://www.tm9ordnance.com/research.asp

Post by **Cal_Gary** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 6:01 am

That is some GREAT info Holzinger-thanks!
Gary

Lifer · Post by **Lifer** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:35 am

thackney wrote: Is there such a thing as a paint code for the correct OD?

Holzinger has indeed presented some great info! However, you have not specified what branch of service you intend to represent with your paint job. The Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force have all painted their vehicles some shade of "OD" or another, but not always the same shade.

In the case of the Air Force, the M37 had been phased out of active service before they began painting tactical vehicles "OD," so any "green" M37s would have to represent a reserve or ANG unit. Regular AF and Civil Air Patrol M37s would be Strata Blue.

Navy M37s would be Haze Gray, except for those assigned to Sea Bees units, which would most likely have been painted the Marine Corps version of "OD."

The Army changed its formula for "OD" a couple of times during the service life of its M37s, so you have a choice there.

What this all boils down to is "pick a color and go with it."

tmbrwolf · Post by **tmbrwolf** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:08 am

And as an additional note, you'll have to find a paint store that has a copy of the federal color standard for them to know what 24087 means. the year of the truck may have a bearing on what color it was painted origanally, my 52 was painted flat OD and repainted sometime in its life semi gloss OD.

CGarbee · Post by **CGarbee** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 11:44 pm

Actually, 24087 is the correct shade if you are using Federal Standard 595A, when the standard was changed (current one is 595B), the only shade that changed was this one... To get the correct COLOR, you have to get 24084 FS595B...

If you just specify the color number without the standard, then you are likely to get the wrong color. FS595B 24087 is browner than the color that was FS595A 24087....

Neither Aervoe nor Gilispie carry FS595B 24084, both carry FS595B 24087. Not a problem if you are not trying to match NOS parts....

Randolph Products (they make the paint for TM9) actually has FS595B 24084....

If you have a Navy, Marine, Air Force, truck, this isn't a problem as the colors did not shift when the standard was revised. USMC Lusterless Forst Green, 34052, is the same color in both FS595B as it was in FS595A for example...

Good luck,

thackney · Post by **thackney** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 5:42 pm

Wow! Thanks so much for the information. I look forward to learning from you guys - you know your stuff. I'll post pics once it's painted.

thackney · Post by **thackney** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 6:01 pm

Here's an attempt at posting the "before" pics.

[img=http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/5273/dsc00127iq1.th.jpg]
[img=http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/1742/dsc00120gh4.th.jpg]
[img=http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/7721/dsc00114da5.th.jpg]
[img=http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/1431/dsc00113zr5.th.jpg]

Nickathome · Post by **Nickathome** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 2:23 am

CGarbee wrote:Actually, 24087 is the correct shade if you are using Federal Standard 595A, when the standard was changed (current one is 595B), the only shade that changed was this one... To get the correct COLOR, you have to get 24084 FS595B...

If you just specify the color number without the standard, then you are likely to get the wrong color. FS595B 24087 is browner than the color that was FS595A 24087....

Neither Aervoe nor Gilispie carry FS595B 24084, both carry FS595B 24087. Not a problem if you are not trying to match NOS parts....

Randolph Products (they make the paint for TM9) actually has FS595B 24084....

If you have a Navy, Marine, Air Force, truck, this isn't a problem as the colors did not shift when the standard was revised. USMC Lusterless Forst Green, 34052, is the same color in both FS595B as it was in FS595A for example...

Good luck,

This has me wondering. I was not aware of a federal standard and when I chose my paint I just based it on the year of the truck and ordered the paint number accordingly. My truck being a 1962, I ordered Gillespie 24087. Now according to what I read here I got FS595B? Is this the correct standard for the year of my truck? I mean its a little after the fact at this point because the truck is already painted. I'm just curious at this point.

CGarbee · Post by **CGarbee** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 3:10 am

The short answer is that the current 24087 (FS595B) is not the same COLOR that the trucks were originally painted in. Not a problem unless you want to be finicky... FS595B was adopted on December 15, 1989, so it was not in effect when these trucks were in service...

The COLOR that they were painted (and the nomenclature used to describe the COLOR) has changed a couple of times during the production of the M37 series, and also during the operational life span of the vehicles. Deciding on what you want to paint your truck with should include if you want it to look like it did from the factory, or from some period of it's life...

To quote DDoyle (from some information that he has on the www.steelsoldiers.com website) as he has done an incredible amount of research into this:

"There is a tremendous amount of confusion among MV collectors about OD - and particularly, 24087. I've done a few years research into this (and, no doubt, will do a few mores) and will try to provide some clarification.

First of all - BEWARE -- don't confuse colors with numbers. Today's Federal Standard is FS595B (it was adopted in 1989) - and there is a color 24087 listed in it. However, this is NOT the same COLOR as the Vietnam era 24087.

We will start with an OD history lesson, beginning well before our beloved FS-595A 24087.

Before FS595 there was TT-C-595, which had numbers wtih 4 digits rather than five.

The TT-C-595 standard used a two-digit prefix to distinguish both sheen, and color. The prefix 24 indicates this color was a semi-gloss green (interesting, because the 24084 to be discussed later is considered a beige under the FS595 system). The last two digits in the TT-C-595 system are used to denote relative darkness of the color - the larger the last two digits, the darker the color.

FS595 was adopted in 1956 and was the standard until 1968. Addendum 2 to FS-595 was made on May 9, 1960. With it colors 14087, 24087, and 34087 (Olive Drab) were replaced with X-14087, X-24087 and X-34087. As of Nov 29, 1961, the mix for X-24087 was as follows:

Lacquer: Acme 1744, Ditzler DAL-42955, DuPont (246)-29149, Rinshed-Mason U3742

or

Enamel: Acme 22-1744, Ditzler DQE-42955, DuPont(93)-29149-H, Rinshed-Mason 2U3742

The applicable Federal Standard during much of the Vietnam war was FS595A (adopted in 1968).

Chg 3 to FS-595A was made on April 28, 1972 Colors 14050-X, 14087-X, 24087-X and 34087-X were introduced permanently to the standard and thus dropped the suffix "X".

Chg 6 to FS-595A February 1, 1980 issued a self-adhesive chip for 34087 to cover the "incorrect" shade included in the 1979 reprint of documentation.

Chg 7 was made to FS-595A, on January 1, 1984 was made. Colors 14087 and 24087 renamed to 14084 and 24084, 34087 renamed to 34088.

Chg 8 to FS595A was made August 30, 1984. In this revision Chg 6 was cancelled to prevent continued use of color designation 34087.

On December 15, 1989 the Federal Standard was revised, and became FS595B.

As can be seen here, the COLOR of FS595A 24087 pre 1984 is the same as FS595B 24084; FS595B 24087 is not the same COLOR as FS595A 24087.

Its no wonder so many folks complain that the paint they bought doesn't match their NOS parts.

HTH,
David Doyle"

I don't think that David will mind my reposting the information here for you folks who don't peruse the other site...if so, he will let me know...

Meanwhile, the above information may be found at:
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/index.php? ... ic&t=15549

Nickathome · Post by **Nickathome** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 5:32 am

Hmnnn, interesting, and confusing all at the same time. Well, as I said its too late now for me to really worry about it, and unless some purist takes a look at my truck, I doubt anyone would even notice. Since my truck is not original in many respects anyway, I am not even going to give it another thought. It is interesting though how choices within the government or whatever agencies were in control tend to convolute even something so simple as paint. Hey bottom line, my truck looks a hell of alot nicer today than it did before I painted so again I am not sweating it.

Post by **Cal_Gary** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 5:41 am

Great pix, Thankney! Thanks for sharing-you might want to flip the spare gas can mount 180 degrees once you get the strap that secures the can.
Gary

Paint code for the standard OD

Paint code for the standard OD

Re: Paint code for the standard OD

Federal Standard?...

24087